Puran Poli Thali

Prepare to embark on a culinary journey through the heartland of India with our Puran Poli Thali - a lavish and authentic feast that captures the essence of traditional Indian cuisine. Bursting with vibrant flavors and showcasing a delightful variety of dishes, this thali is a testament to the rich culinary heritage of India.

At the heart of this thali is the beloved Puran Poli, a sumptuous Indian flatbread filled with sweet chana dal stuffing. It's a labor of love that pays homage to age-old recipes and techniques passed down through generations.

Let’s start with some preparations :

1.  Soak the Moong dal and Chana Dal for Palak Bhaji and Puran respectively. 
2. In a pressure cooker , put in rice , Toor dal and potatoes for bhat , varan and batata bhaji. Knead soft pliable dough with 2 cup of whole wheat flour, salt, water and oil. This dough should be softer than the normal roti/paratha dough to get soft and flaky puran poli. Apply a generous serving of oil to make sure the dough does not get dry.. Cover and let the dough rest for 2-3 hours.
3. Knead the dough for Puran Poli and set it aside - 
4. Coarsely grind dry coconut and Jeera

While the rest are in motion , lets start by preparing

 Panchamrut 

Ingredients –

Vegetable oil – 1 TBSP

Mustard Seeds – 1 Tsp

Asafoetida / Hing – ¼ Tsp

Sunflower seeds – ¼ cup

Dry Coconut slices– ¼ cup

Tamarind pulp – 1 TBSP

Jaggery – ½ cup

Turmeric powder – ½ Tsp

Red chili powder - 1 Tsp

Goda Masala (Maharashtrian Kala Masala) – 1 TBSP

Water – 1 Cup

Salt to taste.

Method-

In a pan, heat some oil. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, coconut slices , sunflower seeds . Mix everything well.

Then add tamarind pulp, jaggery, water and salt. Mix everything well till the jaggery dissolves.Then add turmeric, red chili powder and Goda masala. Mix everything well.

Panchamrut is ready to be served.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients - 

Freshly grated coconut – 1 cup

Cilantro – ½ cup

Green chilies – 3-4

Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp

Lemon juice – 1 TSP

Water to adjust consistency

Salt to taste

Method - 

Mix coconut , cilantro , green chillies ,cumin seeds , lemon juice , salt and grind it to a smooth paste. Add water to adjust consistency.

Varan - 

Ingredients - 

Toor Dal – 1 cup

Turmeric – 1 Tsp

Hing Powder – ¼ Tsp

Water – 2 cups

Jaggery – ½ Tsp

Salt to taste.

Method - 

Wash the Toor Dal Thoroughly . Add 2 cups of water , turmeric powder , and hing powder. Pressure cook the dal on medium heat for 3 whistles.

Mix the dal well and add water to adjust consistency . Make sure there are no lumps . Add salt to taste and Jaggery. Bring to a nice boil.

Batata Bhaji - 

Ingredients -

Potato – peeled and cut into cubes – 3-4

Vegetable oil – 1 TBSP

Mustard Seeds - 1 Tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 Tsp

Hing Powder – ¼ Tsp

Green chilies - 2 - finely chopped

Turmeric Powder – 1 Tsp

Salt to taste

Method - 

Peel and cut the potatoes in cubes. Add salt and cook them with rice and dal.

In a pan, heat oil on medium heat, add mustard seeds , cumin seeds , and hing powder and green chilies. Add the cooked potatoes.

Add turmeric powder  and salt to taste and Mix well. Saute for 3-4 minutes on low heat. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro .

Puran Poli 

Ingredients - 

For Puran or stuffing

Chana dal of split chickpea – 1 cup

Jaggery crushed – ¾ Cup

Sugar – ¼  cup

Cardamom powder – ½  TSP

Nutmeg powder – ½  TSP

Water – 2 cups

For outer covering or poli

Whole wheat flour – 2 cups

Water to knead the dough

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil – ⅓ cup

Method - 

Wash the chana dal 2-3 times. Add  water and soak for 2-3 hours. Drain excess water

 Add 2 cups of water and cook in pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.

Let the pressure release naturally. Drain the excess water from dal if any and store it separately as a base to make curry.

In a pot , add cooked dal. Smash it using a spatula. Add jaggery , sugar to smash dal and mix well.

Cook the mixture on low to medium heat till it starts leaving the sides . Keep stirring continuously to ensure the jaggery does not stick to pot and burn. Be careful while stirring as jaggery forms bubbles and the hot jaggery bubbles might spill on your hands. Sign of puran being cooked is it starts getting dry at the edges of the pot.

Once the puran is cooked add cardamom powder , nutmeg powder and mix well. Some also add ginger powder which also helps in digestion .

Put a heavy griddle on medium high heat.

Take a lemon size ball of dough . Roll the dough by using rice flour into a 2-3 inches diameter circle.

 Take a lemon size ball of the stuffing or puran. Place it in middle of the rolled dough. Gather all the sides of the dough on top of the stuffing to enclose it. Remove the excess dough. Roll the bread softly using more rice flour. You can roll this thin or keep it a little thicker. I roll mine thin to about 8-10 inches in diameter. Gently put the rolled bread on the heated griddle. Cook evenly on both sides to a perfect golden brown color. Add a little oil to both sides.

Karachi Amti 

Ingredients 

Kat – Strained water after cooking Chana dal in it – 1 cup

Vegetable oil – 1 TBSP

Mohri / Mustard seeds – 1 Tsp

Hing powder / asafoetida powder – ¼ Tsp

Bay leaf – 2

Cinnamon stick – 1-2

Curry Leaves – 4-5

Turmeric powder – 1 Tsp

Red chili powder – 1 Tsp

Goda Masala – 1 TBSP

Dry coconut and Jeera – coarsely grinded – 1 TBSP

Boiled drumsticks – optional – 4-5 pieces .

Tamarind juice – 1 Tsp

Jaggery – 1 Tbsp or puran – 2 TBSP

Salt to taste.

Cilantro for Garnishing.

Method. 

Heat a pot on medium heat. Once hot add Vegetable oil. Add mustard seeds and let them Splutter. Add hing powder. Add Bay leaves and cinnamon sticks . Saute for a minute.

Add kat to the pot. Add turmeric powder , red chili powder , goda masala , dry coconut and jeera , salt to taste. Mix well. Add the boiled drumsticks . Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Add tamarind concentrate , jaggery ( if you are making puran poli then add 2 TBSP puran instead ) . Mix well and get a nice boil.

Garnish with finicky chopped cilantro.

Palak Bhaji 

Ingredients - 

1. Moong dal - 1 cup
2. Palak - roughly chopped - 1 cup
3. Turmeric powder - 1 Tsp
4. Red Chili powder - 1 Tsp
5. Cumin seeds powder - 2 Tsp
6. Salt to taste.

Method - 

1. Grind the soaked mood dal into a smooth paste. Add palak , turmeric powder , red chili powder , cumin seeds powder and salt to taste . Mix well.
2. In a kadai , heat oil on medium heat . Once hot , first I am frying the Kurdai.
3. Then drop a spoonful of bhaji batter at a time in oil. Fry it till golden brown on both sides.